34 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2019 Puerto Rico’s Angela Linares helps translate CucCAP fact sheets into Spanish. does just that. That quest for new genet- ics that can be turned into new products is what excites Bill Copes, HM.Clause cucurbit breeding coordinator based in Sacramento, Calif. “We spend a great deal of time in the field tasting products, looking for some- thing that’s unique, that’s a little bit differ- ent that might have a little higher flavor profile,” he says. Like the Bayer-Walmart collabora- tion, HM.Clause has partnered to develop the Origami cantaloupe, which features improved flavor characteristics. Copes notes that varieties with improved flavor usually come with a trade-off for growers, such as lower yields and more frequent harvests. While Origami has been a hit with many consumers, the cantaloupe market won’t be revolutionized overnight. Still, as researchers learn more about cucurbit variety development through groups such as the CucCAP, the future looks promising. More Variety, More Flavor “For growers who are willing to grow a product like Origami, I think there’s a lot of opportunity,” Copes said. “But, there’s still going to be, in my mind, a large percentage of growers who really just want the simplic- ity of growing a Harper melon. “The achievable goal is to combine high flavor with good yields and harvest management.” The quest for new varieties of cucur- bits with sought-after characteristics also extends to other vegetables like cucum- bers. “In Israel we have the Beit Alpha cucumber, which has a very smooth skin, not warty or bumpy fruit. That’s definitely got to be my favorite,” said Ben Mansfeld, a doctoral student in Grumet’s lab at Ben Mansfeld is a doctoral student in the Grumet lab at Michigan State University. Based in Sacramento, Calif., Bill Copes is the HM.Clause cucurbit breeding coordinator. Minnesota State. “They’re very expensive in America. “What I usually buy in the United States is the English Hot House type, the really long greenhouse cucumber. That’s the closest I can get to what I want from home.” Mansfeld hails from Israel and is researching the developmental trait of age-related resistance (ARR) to Phytophthora capsici in cucumber. “We are starting to get more interest in the United States in other types of cucum- bers, and I think that will drive more and more of the seed companies and breeders to develop more lines that can be grown here,” Mansfield said. SW